* * *

‘Horrible.’

If asked to name the most famous woman in Levania, everyone would first think of ‘Maria Tartien.’

The real power in this country, whom even the king couldn’t treat lightly.

The golden pearl of Levania’s highest noble family, the Tartien.

Society seemed to exist for her, waiting for her all day, holding countless parties for her, and bowing to her smile.

‘Why must I marry that lame idiot king…!’

Maria gritted her teeth and glared at the firmly closed door of the king’s bedroom.

It was infuriating that he dared to keep her and her father waiting just because he was king.

The idiot who wouldn’t even be on the throne if not for the Tartien.

Maria clenched her skirt in her hands.

Her bloodshot eyes stared fiercely at the bedroom door.

No matter how much she gritted her teeth, she couldn’t accept this horrible situation.

“Father, I really can’t do this! Please don’t make me marry that horrible monster!”

Unable to bear it, Maria made a final plea in a suppressed voice.

She got off the sofa and clung to Schultz Tartien’s leg.

Pitiful tears shimmered in her blue eyes beneath her delicate lashes.

“Please, Father. Please…! I have someone else in my heart! You know that! Please, don’t push me into hell! I’m your beloved Maria. Don’t you feel sorry for me?”

Her father had always been on her side.

But this time, he was unyielding to a frightening degree.

‘Marry His Majesty.’

With those words, Maria’s world collapsed.

He had said he would adopt a distant relative as his daughter and use her as the bride instead.

But after meeting the king, her father coldly told her she had to marry him.

‘Why? Why…!’

What she heard was absurd and outrageous.

The half-dead king had thrown his scepter, claiming that he was being mocked.

‘No matter how pathetic the king is, to dare to mock him!’

He was furious, saying he wouldn’t accept an adopted daughter of unknown origin as his queen, while his real daughter was of marriageable age.

‘The king knows he’s close to death. He’s making one last desperate move. A pitiful man. Let’s yield to him this once.’

If you pity him so much, Father, you marry that idiot.

Maria looked resentfully at her father and brother, who decided her fate without her consent.

But nothing changed.

The king had already threatened to take another noble’s daughter if they delayed the decision.

That might be all the king could do, but it was still a nuisance for Schultz Tartien.

So, Maria Tartien had to submit a marriage proposal along with her portrait.

The portrait was so beautiful that she cried in front of it.

And the fact that the excellent portrait was painted by that woman made Maria feel even more miserable.

The man she desperately wanted, Karl Winger!

‘Horrible. Tragic. I just want to die like this!’

This whole situation was pushing Maria into hell.

“Maria.”

Schultz’s dry hand touched Maria’s tear-streaked cheek.

“Father, sob, Father…”

His touch, wiping away her tears, felt as gentle as ever.

So, Maria Tartien harbored a faint hope that maybe this marriage could still be called off.

But…

“Stop it.”

With a gentle touch, her father threw her back into hell.

“If you bear the Tartien name, there comes a time when you must contribute to the family.”

“F-Father…! I can’t stand his smell. It makes me nauseous!”

At Maria’s childish complaint, Schultz clicked his tongue quietly.

He understood his daughter’s feelings, but this was not a matter for childish complaints.

“You know I cherish you, right? So don’t disappoint me.”

Maria was once again shocked by her father, Duke Schultz Tartien’s, firm stance.

Even though he was a kind father, she knew he could be scarier than anyone when necessary.

The look in his eyes now showed that.

Even if she was his daughter, he would cast her out if she didn’t follow his decision.

A look mixed with cunning and severe reprimand.

“Wipe your tears and wait with dignity. You’ll soon meet His Majesty, and you can’t have tear-stained eyes.”

In the end, Maria wiped her sobbing tears and sat back in her seat.

Faced with the terrible fate approaching, she had no choice but to surrender helplessly.

‘Can I endure this?’

Maria wished this waiting time for the king’s preparations would never end.

She hoped the sickly king would collapse and not get up again during his preparations.

She prayed he would die, begging desperately.

It wasn’t her first time meeting the king.

That’s why this moment felt even more dreadful.

The first time she met the king, she couldn’t look directly at his horrible burn scars.

The festering wounds with pus and blood.

But what was more unbearable was the stench of rotting flesh.

She could ignore the hoarse voice, the creepy gaze, and the disfigured flesh.

But she couldn’t ignore the stench that pierced her nose.

As long as she lived, she had to breathe.

But to marry a man who reeked like that.

Even if she could become the queen of this country, Maria had no such ambition or desire.

Just living as she was now was enough.

In fact, there was no woman in a higher position or someone who received more attention than her wherever she went.

Tears welled up again at her father’s cruel decision.

The man she wanted wasn’t the king.

‘Karl Winger.’

She wanted him.

A man like him was a perfect match for her, a strikingly handsome man who made everyone turn their heads.

And she naturally thought her wish would come true.

‘But what is this? It’s horrible!’

Maria panted, suppressing her sobs that threatened to burst out again.

A low sigh was heard.

“…Maria.”

Schultz Tartien called his daughter’s name in a slightly softened voice compared to before.

“Have you forgotten what Landers said?”

Maria recalled her intelligent and beautiful brother.

‘He won’t be able to perform as a man anyway. Look, despite his disability, hasn’t he never sought a woman until now? So, you won’t have to share a bed with him. Trust me.’

She knew he was trying to soothe her.

But his words were not entirely without merit.

‘Just endure it for a while. If it’s too hard, you can have a lover. Father and I will make sure the king can’t interfere with you. You can meet the one you love freely, and if you want, you can even have his child. All we need is the appearance of propriety.’

Her brother’s voice was filled with conviction.

And Maria knew that once Landers set his mind on something, he would achieve it.

‘Your child, no, the child of this Tartien family will become the king of this country.’

The king of this country.

The most noble blood.

‘Anyway, I can’t stop this situation now.’

Maria’s sobbing gradually subsided.

She bit her lip hard and wiped her tears.

‘Then I’ll take the benefits I can get.’

She then opened her eyes wide and glared at the firmly closed door.

Yes, the king would die soon.

They would make him die.

Her father and brother would make it happen.

Then they would take the throne.

They would become the true rulers of this country.

‘…Yes. Fine. I’ll kill that horrible king and take everything. Everything.’

Just as the previous king had done to his siblings.

Creak—

The heavy wooden door opened with a chilling sound.

Brook Berels, the king’s personal physician, came out.

“His Majesty is waiting for you.”

Maria hesitated but slowly stood up.

Schultz Tartien watched his tear-stained daughter with satisfaction and nodded.

Yes, this is how a Tartien should be.